Big Universe is a tool that could be used in a Reading Language Arts classroom. This tool is used to create and read books online. I created a username for my free trial with a password. I made a short story to see how to use the tools such as adding pictures, text and uploading pictures from the Internet. The site itself was easy to navigate around and learn to use without instruction. When creating a book, I had to add pages, click and drag pictures to the screen and adjust the size. There was a text box that could be added to write on the story also. The downfall I found to only using the 14-day trial was that I could not publish by book. I created a short story about a girl growing a garden. Most of the pictures that were used were from the website and some I uploaded onto the website which was very fast and easy. Big Universe was an easy tool to use, but it didn’t have as many features as I would have wished it to have. It had a wide variety of clip art pictures but it was hard to make a story from what was available through the website alone. I wouldn’t use it for making stories of my own in my classroom because I feel as if there are better options out there for teachers but maybe for students to use as an option to write a story.
Voicethread
Big Universe
User Name: Sarahhundertmark
Password: reading
click "Write"
click "Edit/Publish Books I've created"
"Sally's Garden"
Big Universe is a tool that could be used in a Reading Language Arts classroom. This tool is used to create and read books online. I created a username for my free trial with a password. I made a short story to see how to use the tools such as adding pictures, text and uploading pictures from the Internet. The site itself was easy to navigate around and learn to use without instruction. When creating a book, I had to add pages, click and drag pictures to the screen and adjust the size. There was a text box that could be added to write on the story also. The downfall I found to only using the 14-day trial was that I could not publish by book. I created a short story about a girl growing a garden. Most of the pictures that were used were from the website and some I uploaded onto the website which was very fast and easy. Big Universe was an easy tool to use, but it didn’t have as many features as I would have wished it to have. It had a wide variety of clip art pictures but it was hard to make a story from what was available through the website alone. I wouldn’t use it for making stories of my own in my classroom because I feel as if there are better options out there for teachers but maybe for students to use as an option to write a story.
Cast book: Going to the Game
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=43210&page=1